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Those who thought Europe’s refugee “crisis” was over were reminded this week that tens of thousands of refugees remain stranded in Greece and the Balkans. Images of refugee tents shrouded in snow on the Greek islands have sparked outrage about the lack of adequate shelter, and scorn has been poured on the Greek government for keeping refugees in such miserable conditions. But others have pointed out that the real culprits are EU and member state policies that have closed borders and shrugged off responsibility for a more equitable distribution of the refugees arriving on Europe’s southern shores.

German officials have proposed that the European Union relax some human rights safeguards so that more asylum seekers can be deported while awaiting the outcome of their cases, according to a working paper seen by Reuters.

The idea that returning refugees will drive development in Afghanistan ignores reality, says researcher Marieke van Houte. She argues that the mass return of Afghans will further destabilize the country and drive a new exodus.

The German cabinet has passed a slew of measures aimed at streamlining the deportation process. The phones of asylum-seekers will be searched, while rejected people will likely be kept in custody longer.

The European Union has taken steps to strengthen its cooperation in the field of migration control with Libya, with Council Conclusions reached this Monday, amid heavy criticism. Italy has supported these efforts by concluding a bilateral Agreement with Libya.

Last week the third collective deportation to Afghanistan was carried out from Munich, Germany. While criticism on forced removals to Afghanistan persists, the German government has issued a proposal to enhance the efficiency of removal orders.

Because the deportation of rejected asylum-seekers from Germany is the responsibility of the states, a highly arbitrary system not unlike a lottery. For the close to a half-million people expected to receive orders to be deported this year, whether they must leave or not may depend on where they live. By SPIEGEL Staff

A Tripoli court has blocked any deal on migrants resulting from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Presidency Council (PC) chief Faiez Serraj and the Italians this February. It is however unclear what impact today’s ruling will have on the EU’s determination to try and stem the migrant tide in cooperation with the PC.

The Tripoli Court of Appeals has ruled to suspend the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Libya’s Government of National Accord and Italian government to help fight the waves of immigrants that cross Libyan shores to Italy.

A deal signed in Italy with tribes operating in southern Libya may be the last element of the barrier the EU has been constructing to exclude Africans from Europe. “To seal the southern Libyan border means to seal the southern border of Europe,” declared Italian foreign minister, Marco Minniti, following the signing ceremony in early April.